Community Foundations

Community foundations are grantmaking public charities that are dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. They bring together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their communities. Community foundations vary widely in asset size, ranging from less than $100,000 to more than $1.7 billion.

Community foundations play a key role in identifying and solving community problems. In 2017, they gave an estimated $5.48 billion to a variety of nonprofit activities in fields that included the arts and education, health and human services, the environment, and disaster relief. The Community Foundations National Standards Board confirms operational excellence in six key areas—mission, structure, and governance; resource development; stewardship and accountability; grantmaking and community leadership; donor relations; and communications. Foundations that comply with these standards can display the official National Standards Seal. Currently, over 500 community foundations have earned the seal.

More than 900 community foundations operate in urban and rural areas in every state in the United States; currently, approximately 350 are members of the Council on Foundations. The community foundation model also has taken hold around the world. Community foundations have participated in the growth of international giving by U.S. foundations in recent years, with international giving by community foundations more than tripling, from $103 million in 2011 to $315 million in 2015, and community foundations' share of overall international giving by U.S. foundations more than doubling, from 1.4 percent in 2011 to 3.4 percent in 2015.

You can use our Community Foundation Locator to view a list of community foundations in the United States.

Below is everything on our site for community foundations. We highly recommend that you use the navigation or our search feature to find what you're looking for on our site. Please also visit cof.org/community-foundations for curated community foundation content. 

Public Policy and Advocacy: The Go-To Tools in the Community Foundation Tool Shed

The Pennsylvania Community Foundation Association (PACFA) is an affinity organization that my foundation helped to re-activate several years ago for the 35 community philanthropies in the state to share ideas and strategies and, when appropriate, act collectively on issues. At a recent meeting of…

From Polarization to Collaboration: Philanthropy’s Role in Bridging Differences

  To do our work well and uphold our promise to society, leaders in philanthropy must try to foster a sense of shared humanity, build common ground, and work collaboratively for the greater good. But how can we do that at a time of incredible division and mistrust? Join us for a…

Virtual Meet-Up: Community Foundation Donor Services - January 2023

Trends in Philanthropy Join this interactive and informal virtual-meet up for all community foundation staff who are philanthropic advisors or involved in donor stewardship. This peer-led conversation will be a time to connect with peers across the nation and share learnings.  This…

Webinar: Senior Philanthropic Leaders Meeting with Secretary of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona

Executive leadership of the Council on Foundations and Hispanics in Philanthropy hosted this kick-off dialogue with foundation executives and senior staff with the U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona. Ulcca Joshi Hansen, Co-Interim Executive Director of Grantmakers for Education…

May 2023 National Standards Monthly Zoom Session

CFNSB hosts a monthly call to offer community foundation staff the opportunity to learn what's new, or ask any questions related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. This event will take place the second Wednesday of…

National Standards Monthly Zoom Session - April 2023

CFNSB hosts a monthly call to offer community foundation staff the opportunity to learn what's new, or ask any questions related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. This event will take place the second Wednesday of…

National Standards Monthly Zoom Session - March 2023

CFNSB hosts a monthly call to offer community foundation staff the opportunity to learn what's new, or ask any questions related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. This event will take place the second Wednesday of…

February 2023 National Standards Zoom Call

CFNSB hosts a monthly call to offer community foundation staff the opportunity to learn what's new, or ask any questions related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. This event will take place the second Wednesday of…

National Standards Monthly Zoom Session

CFNSB is relaunching its monthly conference call to offer community foundation staff a venue to voice questions or concerns related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. Additionally, this call provides an opportunity…

Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort

Meet the 2024 Cohort See the members of the 2024 Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort Are you looking for a supportive community of funders to help you build constructive dialogue and understanding across differences? You’ll get just that with the Bridging Differences Leadership…

Building Common Ground

To uphold our promise to society, philanthropy must be a leader in seeing our shared humanity and working together for the greater good. Positive change doesn’t always come easily, especially in times of division and mistrust. It often requires action from a broad coalition of people and groups who…

Philanthropy Supporting Ukraine - January 2023

Since February 24, 2022, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians affected by the Russian war have sought safety in Canada and the United States.  The fourth funder-only roundtable series will focus on how Canadian and U.S. governments, alongside private and community foundations, have welcomed and…

Philanthropy's Response to Gun Violence and Mass Shootings

Overview Gun violence is a constant threat to communities across the United States. While mass shootings capture media attention and public outrage, gun violence is a specter over many Americans' daily lives.  Funders across the country have been called to action to address gun violence and…

Philanthropy Supporting Ukraine - December 2022

With the war in Ukraine far from over, the immediate wave of support from philanthropy has dwindled. However, the war continues to have devastating impacts on Ukraine, Ukrainians globally, global food insecurity, and the global economy. In partnership with the Community Foundations of Canada,…

SDG Learning Community for Foundations January 2023 Meeting

Join us for the January meeting of our Peer Learning Circle dedicated specifically for foundations working on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or are open to learning more about how the SDGs can fit within their work. Guest Speaker: Alex Hiniker, Director of Sustainability…

2022 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Key Findings

Publication, Research
Drawing from data provided by 1,003 institutional responses, the 2022 GSB Key Findings highlights important human resource trends that are shaping the philanthropic sector.  This year’s key findings feature the voices of human resources professionals and leaders from across the sector as they…
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